For those of you who have successfully “broken the code” with diet

[Anonymous]

No sugar, no flour except for planned indulgences. I don't snack between meals and I periodically do intermittent fasting (mainly just skipping breakfast). I also plan what I'll eat the next day the night before, and I don't stray from it. However, I don't count calories and I don't eat food I don't like just for the sake of it being "healthy" (lookin' at you, cauliflower everything). I also work out 4-5 times a week doing something I love, without ever considering if I've 'burned' enough to deserve to eat.

I struggled with binge eating and losing/gaining the same 15-20 pounds since I was a teenager (I'm very short so this was a significant fluctuation in size and appearance). I've maintained my ideal weight for a few years now and I finally feel free of all the diet obsession, restriction, shame, being good vs. being bad, etc. I read a lot on line from people who re-trained their thought process surrounding food and weight loss. It was corny and uncomfortable at first but it's still working for me.

[Anonymous]

Mostly I eat what I want, but watch portions and I don't have a big appetite, thankfully. I don't drink alcohol or sweet beverages. I exercise most days (at least through walking).

[Anonymous]

I fast for 24 hours three or four times a week.

[Anonymous]

Slowly lost weight and maintained. Still some pounds to lose but I could be happy at this weight. I haven’t regained and sustainable. And losing weight was always very hard. Here is what I learned.

Weigh daily to prevent weight gain (I can gain quickly but lose slowly). Someone on this forum recommended happy scale app. I’m a STEM person and like moving averages to smooth out fluctuations so it’s a great fit for me.

I love exercise but it doesn’t equate to weight loss. I think of them totally different. And do exercise for health and the mental benefits. It’s my destressor to work out everyday or work out hard with a tough week.

I fast routinely modest hour as pre-diabetic. I don’t think it helps lose weight on its own but I do think it supports weight maintenance and great for blood sugars. I don’t get Hangry anymore which indirectly may help on weight loss. .

I have the mindset that I’m ok losing very very slowly - think 1 to 1.5 lb a month but in a year that adds up

To lose weight, I have to do the old fashion cut calories. I push hard for a week or two than go back to maintenance mode. I have a stressful life with job and kids with medical issues that are always changing - so I try to be kind to myself Two weeks push than maintenance works for me.

[Anonymous]

You don’t stop dieting, that is the key.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I fast for 24 hours three or four times a week.

That's not sustainable forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No sugar, no flour except for planned indulgences. I don't snack between meals and I periodically do intermittent fasting (mainly just skipping breakfast). I also plan what I'll eat the next day the night before, and I don't stray from it. However, I don't count calories and I don't eat food I don't like just for the sake of it being "healthy" (lookin' at you, cauliflower everything). I also work out 4-5 times a week doing something I love, without ever considering if I've 'burned' enough to deserve to eat.

I struggled with binge eating and losing/gaining the same 15-20 pounds since I was a teenager (I'm very short so this was a significant fluctuation in size and appearance). I've maintained my ideal weight for a few years now and I finally feel free of all the diet obsession, restriction, shame, being good vs. being bad, etc. I read a lot on line from people who re-trained their thought process surrounding food and weight loss. It was corny and uncomfortable at first but it's still working for me.

Ha. LOL at you are free of all food obsession and restrictions and shame. Your post is the exact opposite of all that you claim in that sentences. If I ever saw a food insane person it is you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No sugar, no flour except for planned indulgences. I don't snack between meals and I periodically do intermittent fasting (mainly just skipping breakfast). I also plan what I'll eat the next day the night before, and I don't stray from it. However, I don't count calories and I don't eat food I don't like just for the sake of it being "healthy" (lookin' at you, cauliflower everything). I also work out 4-5 times a week doing something I love, without ever considering if I've 'burned' enough to deserve to eat.

I struggled with binge eating and losing/gaining the same 15-20 pounds since I was a teenager (I'm very short so this was a significant fluctuation in size and appearance). I've maintained my ideal weight for a few years now and I finally feel free of all the diet obsession, restriction, shame, being good vs. being bad, etc. I read a lot on line from people who re-trained their thought process surrounding food and weight loss. It was corny and uncomfortable at first but it's still working for me.

Ha. LOL at you are free of all food obsession and restrictions and shame. Your post is the exact opposite of all that you claim in that sentences. If I ever saw a food insane person it is you.

NP here and I’m guessing the PP has a plan and implements it, but doesn’t feel deprived or obsess about food. Having been in the position to feel deprived and to think about WW points all day long and constantly analyze my next snack or meal...sounds freeing to me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've had the most success with 16:8 intermittent fasting. For some reason, I do better knowing that I can eat what I want, as long as I eat it in the eating window. I could probably lose another 5-10 pounds if I ate only healthy foods, but that just isn't realistic for me. I was able to loose 17 pounds initially with IF, when I was fasting and eating healthier. I can pretty easily maintain 13 pounds of that weight-loss with just IF and being more flexible with what I eat.

For reference, I am 42 and started IF after I turned 40 and nothing else was working for me anymore.

This works incredibly well and is the easiest form of dieting I've tried. I also limit sugars and refined carbs and avoid processed foods but don't gain too much weight when I indulge, like I have been around the holidays.

[Anonymous]

This is controversial but focusing on exercise only to the exclusion of diet made me lose 30 lbs.

I started doing very vigorous exercise (Brazilian jiu jitsu) 3x a week.

In addition to the benefits of exercise, your body starts REALLY noticing if you ate poorly and learns to regulate. You start eating right naturally. No calorie counting, no off limit foods, no emotional distress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No sugar, no flour except for planned indulgences. I don't snack between meals and I periodically do intermittent fasting (mainly just skipping breakfast). I also plan what I'll eat the next day the night before, and I don't stray from it. However, I don't count calories and I don't eat food I don't like just for the sake of it being "healthy" (lookin' at you, cauliflower everything). I also work out 4-5 times a week doing something I love, without ever considering if I've 'burned' enough to deserve to eat.

I struggled with binge eating and losing/gaining the same 15-20 pounds since I was a teenager (I'm very short so this was a significant fluctuation in size and appearance). I've maintained my ideal weight for a few years now and I finally feel free of all the diet obsession, restriction, shame, being good vs. being bad, etc. I read a lot on line from people who re-trained their thought process surrounding food and weight loss. It was corny and uncomfortable at first but it's still working for me.

Ha. LOL at you are free of all food obsession and restrictions and shame. Your post is the exact opposite of all that you claim in that sentences. If I ever saw a food insane person it is you.

I disagree. Good job PP. it sounds like you are intentional with your eating, but not obsessive. I think you are in a good place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you look at studies of people who maintain weight loss over years and years you find that there is no one thing they do. There are sets of practices that people engage in, not one thing. But the thing that is consistent is that it is a never ending struggle, weight regain happens, and the people who are successful with maintaining loss have a sort of trip wire weight where if they gain a few pounds they go into weight loss mode again. I am one of those long-time weight loss maintainers (50 lbs 7 years ago, have maintained 40 of that) and I find that nothing - NOTHING - works forever. There are some methods that I don't like or don't work for me, but in general if I try hard enough anything can work - Noom, Weight Watchers, IF, low carb. You find that being dogmatic about this stuff is useless. What works this year won't work next, either because I have changed or just because I am too bored with it to stick to

With the issue of insatiable appetite, I have come to terms with hunger. I stopped thinking of hunger as the enemy, or something to be appeased or prevented. Its just a feeling in my body, and just like I don't give too much thought to a headache or stiff back, I'm not going to give too much thought to hunger when it is inconvenient. My hunger got me to 50 lbs overweight - clearly my hunger is not a reliable partner in telling me how much food I need, so I've stopped letting it control me. Hot tea, cut up veggies, and pickles (all sorts) are my go-to when I know it isn't time to eat but I am ravenous.

I think this is the most honest thing I ever read about the reality of maintaining weight loss over the years. Thanks for posting it.

[Anonymous]

Brown University maintains a database of people who have successfully lost and kept it off. Some of the takeaways for me were: eat anything basically but limit portions, 60 minute daily exercise, weigh yourself on a regular basis.

You probably could look up more info.

Beck Diet Book - CBT program talks a lot about this

[Anonymous]

Intuitive eating, like deeply deeply committed to it. I bought the book. Oreos, whatever I wanted at starbucks for months, spaghetti carbonara, donuts, you name it rich food and I gave myself unconditional permission. It took about 3 months for me to stop gaining weight, and then about a year of maintaining a stable weight while experimenting with food. From there I lost weight in spurts and kept it off effortlessly. Now I barely think about food, not sure what I eat. I seriously think this is the code to be "naturally thin".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:- Limited carbs, focusing on healthy carbs
- Avoid processed food
- Avoid emotional eating. Listen to my body regarding hunger. Often I have not much for dinner. If I am hungry I have a more typical dinner.
- Consume some high volume low cal foods daily -- vegetables, non-caloric liquids
- A variety of exercise that I enjoy. For me it helps to do high intensity exercise. I

This.

BreKing the sugar addiction was the hardest. It took 7 weeks. I still have limited sugar.